Combat Stress

Dave Smith breaks down a violent encounter with a panhandler in order to highlight the importance of coordinating with your partner when entering a dangerous situation and using different tools at your disposal when one tool fails.

In addition to responding to reports of crimes and patrolling or investigating to try to detect and prevent crimes in progress, police officers frequently are called upon to respond to situations involving suicidal or otherwise disturbed persons. Being suicidal is a mental health problem and social issue, and not itself a crime. At the same time, suicidal or otherwise disturbed persons frequently do engage in conduct which constitutes a crime.